Where do you go for morning coffee or hot chocolate in Iroquois, South Dakota? The United Methodist Church, of course! On the second Thursday morning of each month, from 7:30- 9 a.m., people of all ages gather at the church to launch their morning with coffee and rolls and connect. The Fresh Expressions team has dubbed the time Mornings with a Mission.
Iroquois United Methodist Church is a part of the Dakotas Annual Conference.
Iroquois, population 294, is in the east-central part of South Dakota, along U.S. Highway 14. The church is located just a block away from the school. The only other place to get a cup of coffee in the morning is at the gas station. The United Methodist Church is the only church in town. There are churches just outside town.
Pastor Tia Felberg serves United Methodist congregations at Iroquois and DeSmet, South Dakota. The two congregations have formed a Fresh Expressions team. The team brainstormed and came up with the idea of Missions in the Morning. Coffee, hot chocolate, and treats are served to anyone who wants to come to both communities.
At a recent Missions in the Morning in Iroquois, Darcy Lenz and Tracy Miller, members of the congregation and Fresh Expressions team in Iroquois, prepared the coffee and hot chocolate and greeted the guests.
"Last month, we had 69, so we are hoping for that many or more this month," said Tracy. "It is fun to see who comes."
That morning, several notable guests showed up. The "Blues brothers," Rex and Brycen Blue, stopped by. The two siblings are quiet but quick to share a smile. They dressed up as the Blues Brothers on Halloween.
Jim Hulbert, the mayor, wandered in for coffee. Although he was not on official business, he noted it was a good place to check in with people. "I might as well come here and see what is on the people's minds," he said.
Several students stopped by from the nearby school. It was pajama day. Some students were in sweatpants, some in their flannel pajamas, and one came dressed in red and black spotted dinosaur pajamas. One of the guests remarked with a smile, "The things you see kids wearing these days."
The noise level in the fellowship space rose as the number of guests gathering increased.
"This is so much fun," said Darcy, a part-time nurse. "It doesn't take a lot of money or effort. We simply make coffee and hot chocolate. We buy some rolls, granola bars, and mini donuts and set them out. I love to see the people as they come in the door."
The mission of the Fresh Expression team is to bless each person and give them some fuel for the day.
"It is a way just to welcome everyone and bless them," said Darcy. "Most of these people are not going to come to worship on Sunday, and that is OK. We just want to bless them."
Fresh Expressions allows church leaders and pastors to use both traditional services and innovative forms of church to live out Christ's mission. One does not replace the other but instead creates a mutual benefit for both—a mixture of what we know as church today.
"Fresh Expressions requires a mind shift. Serving coffee to the community is a step as we grow our Fresh Expressions movement.
excerpt from a story by Doreen Gosmire, director of communications, Dakotas UMC
This story represents how United Methodist local churches through their Annual Conferences are living as Vital Congregations. A vital congregation is the body of Christ making and engaging disciples for the transformation of the world. Vital congregations are shaped by and witnessed through four focus areas: calling and shaping principled Christian leaders; creating and sustaining new places for new people; ministries with poor people and communities; and abundant health for all.
